***ALERT: Entangled Gray Whale Traveling North Off California Coast

An entangled gray whale with a metal frame on its head was first sighted off Newport Harbor on 4/1/17. It was re-sighted on 4/3/17 near Goleta, CA and then again near Piedras Blancas on 4/5/17. The sighting from Goleta and Piedras Blancas were sighted by people on shore. We need your help to relocate this entangled whale; whether you are searching while on the water or observing from land. Please share this information with your friends, family, and coworkers.

Based on our estimated time of arrival, the whale could be seen anywhere between Davenport and San Francisco today (4/7/17) through tomorrow evening (4/8/17). These calculations were made based on the average speed of the animal when it was sighted in Southern California (2.6 to 3.0 kts).

Please be on the lookout and share this information with your friends. If you see this whale, DO NOT approach or try to disentangle it. DO stay with it, but maintain a distance of 100 yards from the animal: take photos and video, and note the location of the whale, the travel direction, whether it is solitary or with others, and its behavior (whether it is surfacing or diving, and the length of dive times) – and immediately call NOAA Entangled Whale Hotline 1-877-SOS-WHALE or hail USCG on CH 16.